We headed north to an area where some of the youngest volcanoes on the island have not only produced a line of scoria cones but also a long lava tube with interesting archaeology and fauna.
The Cueva de los Llanos north of La Oliva was our first 'proper' stop though since it didn't open until 10 we diverted to a cafe in La Oliva first.
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| La Oliva church plaza |
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Refreshed we headed back to the cave again where we had a chance to visit the exhibition before our tour. Then, after being fitted out with protective hair covers (much laughter), hard hats and head torches we were guided down through the
jameo (skylight) and along some 400 m of one branch of the tube. The cave is important for palaeontology (vertebrate and gastropod fossils) and is unusual in preserving palaeoenvironmental changes well in the infilling sediment. It is also inhabited by an endemic arachnic,
Maiorerus Randoi. Recently it was used as an arsenal and graffiti dating from this time decorate the walls at the far end. After we had eaten our lunch Julie the guide - having learned of our geological interests - showed us the palaeontological dig which isn't open to the public
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| The jameo that gives access to the tube |
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| Maiorerus Randoi |
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| Cute! |
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| In the tube - we were able to see 'tide marks' left by flows moving through |
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Between here and Corralejo is a line of lava cones, Bayuyo, the highest, in the north. We found our way to a track that runs along the NW side of these and, to our delight, it was a good graded track. We stopped a couple of times to check out the ejecta which included a number of small mantle xenoliths of peridotite. At the second stop we were able to climb up to the lip of the breach.
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| The line of scoria cones north of Los Llanos |
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| Looking for mantle xenoliths in the scoria |
Returning we had good views from Corallejo to Lanzarote and the Isla de Lobos before stopping to check out the carbonate sands that form the extensive dune field to the south.
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| Isla de Lobos with Lanzarote behind |
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| Corralejo carbonate sand dunes - formed from sand deposited when sea level was higher, and also from sand blown onshore when sea level was lower |
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